New Labour and the politics of masculinity

The New Labour government has arguably broken new ground by making ‘masculinity policy’. Whereas the policy process is always inevitably gendered, with implications for men as well as women, it is only in the last few years that a government has made quite such explicit references to men in some areas of policy. The most high profile initiatives have been in relation to fathering and to the education of boys. In this paper we make out a case that New Labour proceeds with policy optimism about men in the home and pessimism about men outside the home. In contrast, there has been policy pessimism about women in the home and optimism about women outside the home. Where New Labour is optimistic, it tends to produce policies that are encouraging and facilitative, and where New Labour is pessimistic, it can produce policies that are authoritarian

Anti-Poverty Practice and the Changing World of Credit Unions: New Tools for Social Workers

Social workers have always been directly concerned with the impact of poverty on the lives of service users. Yet practical ways of making a difference to these circumstances have diminished, rather than strengthened over the past twenty years. This paper considers recent developments in credit union services, drawing on research carried out in Wales. It argues that, both in terms of convenient saving and affordable credit, such unions now provide new ways in which help can be offered to least well off communities. A critically engaged social work, the paper suggests, needs to re-engage with such everyday tools for making a difference in the lives of those who most need such assistance

Transforming Time: A New Tool for Youth Justice

This article introduces the idea of time banks and argues for its relevance to youth justice workers. It outlines the purpose and functions of time banks before considering three practical ways in which they can be put to use in contemporary youth justice practice in England and Wales. The article argues that time banks offer a new possibility for local action by youth justice workers which both improves the immediate circumstances of users and alters the nature of services themselves

New Labour and the 'Problem of Men'

The New Labour government has arguably broken new ground by making `masculinity policy'. Whereas the policy process is always inevitably gendered, with implications for men as well as women, it is only in the last few years that a government has made quite such explicit references to men in some areas of policy. The most high-profile initiatives have been in relation to fathering and the education of boys. In this article, we make out a case that New Labour proceeds with policy optimism about men in the home and pessimism about men outside the home. In contrast, there has been policy pessimism about women in the home and optimism about women outside the home. Where New Labour is optimistic, it tends to produce policies that are encouraging and facilitative, and where New Labour is pessimistic, it can produce policies that are authoritarian

New Labour and the politics of masculinity

The New Labour government has arguably broken new ground by making ‘masculinity policy’. Whereas the policy process is always inevitably gendered, with implications for men as well as women, it is only in the last few years that a government has made quite such explicit references to men in some areas of policy. The most high profile initiatives have been in relation to fathering and to the education of boys. In this paper we make out a case that New Labour proceeds with policy optimism about men in the home and pessimism about men outside the home. In contrast, there has been policy pessimism about women in the home and optimism about women outside the home. Where New Labour is optimistic, it tends to produce policies that are encouraging and facilitative, and where New Labour is pessimistic, it can produce policies that are authoritarian

Ownership, regulation and the public interest: The case of residential care for older people

This commentary deals with recent, rapid developments in the field of private residential care of older people. It traces changes in the pattern of ownership and regulation, and explores the extent to which these impact upon the protection of the public interest. It concludes that the nature of ownership continues to matter in social welfare, and that regulation has proved of limited effectiveness in securing the interests of older people in private care

Health policy in Wales: Making a difference in conditions of difficulty

Devolution in a Welsh context has transferred social policy responsibilities to the National Assembly. Health has a dominant presence amongst these responsibilities, both in terms of budget commitment and political salience. This paper explores the context in which Assembly health policy making has taken place, looking at economic, administrative and political dimensions, identifying elements of continuity and change in the Assembly Government's approach to health matters. The paper argues that while policy making has been far-reaching, the implementation of that policy agenda has proved problematic. It concludes that both social policy academics and politicians have underestimated the ways in which barriers to reform can be mobilized, including the way in which health policy debates are presented in the media, even when radicalism has been established in policy intent